Method of manufacturing gas.



No. 746,452. PATENTED DEG, 8,1903.

' GQ-FQBRUSH;

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GAS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1902 N0 MODEL.

STEAM 76 STEAM [TNESSES Y INVENTOR i31 4 UNITED STATES iatnted beeember8, T903.

CHARLES F. BRUSH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 746,452, datedDecember 8, 1903.

Application filed May 3, 1902. Serial No. l05,830. (No specimens.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs F. BRUSH, of Cleveland, in the county ofGuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Manufacture of Water-Gas; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full,clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the manufacture of water-gas; and it consists,broadly, in mixing with the steam customarily used for decompositionsufficient oxygen or air greatly enriched in oxygen to maintain thenecessary temperature and make the process continuous, whereby a greateconomy of fuel is ef-' fected and the output of a gas-making plantlargely increased.

In my improved process bituminous fuel is first heated by blowing withair or oxygen. Then steam mixed with oxygen or air greatly enriched inoxygen is'passed through it. The steam is decomposed by the hot carbon,while the cooling eifect of thereaction, is counteracted by thecombination of more carbon with the free oxygen. With the'large excessof carbon-always present this combination produces carbon monoxid only.The necessary temperaturebeingmaintained,the run is continuous,resulting in a greatly increased output from a given generator in agiven time as compared with the old process. The supply of oxygen mixedwith the steam is preferably so regulated as to be just suffi cient tomaintain the necessary temperature in the generator. The temperature inthe generator may be noted from time to time by observation through apeep-hole in its side or by means of a pyrometer and the relativeproportions of steam and oxygen regulated accordingly. The regulation ofthe steam-supply and the oxygen-supply and of their relative proportionsmay be made manually or automatically. Automatic regulation of bothsteam and oxygen supply may be effected bymeans of a water-pump and anoxygen-pump driven by the same shaft or motor, the water passing througha heated coil of pipe and being converted into steam on its way to thegenerator, and automatic relative regulation of steam and oxygen may beeffected by varying the stroke of either pump through electrical agencycontrolled by a pyrometer located in the generator. This mechanism forthe automatic control and regulation of steam and oxygen will form thesubject of one or more future applications for Letters Patent and ishereby specifically reserved for that purpose.

The drawing herewith represents simple forms of apparatus for carryingon the process embodying my invention.

The primary'generatorA consists of a vertical iron cylinder of suitabledimensions.- say eight feet in diameter and fifteen feet high-'linedwith fire-bricks'and provided with a grate B, preferably adapted to beshaken by external means.

C is a gas-tight door for affording access to the ash-pit D and for theremoval 'of ashes.

E is the feeding neck of the generator, through which the supplyof'fuelis maintained. This neck is normally closed at its lower end by thehollow iron cone F, which, with its supporting-rod G, is counterpoised,as shown- The neckis also closed at the top by the loose cover H,through which the rod G passes freely.

In feeding the generator the cover H is raised, the neck E filled withfuel, the cover dropped, and the cone F lowered, whereby the neck fullof fuel is dropped into the generator without any considerable ingressof air or escape of gas.

. I represents the normal mass of fuel resting onthe grate B to thedepth of eight or ten-feet. Steam is supplied from any suitable sourcethrough the pipe K and enters the ash-pit D in the form of a strong jetunder 'the mixing-plate L. The necessary oxygen is supplied through thepipe M, which is concentric with the steam-pipe at its end. Theconcentric jets of steam and oxygen (a low velocity is sufficient forthe latter) impinging on the plate L are effectively mixed and diffusedin the ash-pit, whence they pass up through the incandescent fuel. Anyother suitable device may be employed to efiect the mixing of the steamand oxygen.

The water-gas formed by the action of the steam and oxygen on theincandescent fuel, as heretofore described, mixed with gaseoushydrocarbon, vaporized solid and liquid hydrocarbon, and ammoniacalproducts escapes through the outlet N into the secondary generator S.This consists of a vertical iron cylinderlined with fire-bricks, asbefore, and filled, except at its ends, with fire-brick checkerwork 0 orwith loosely-piled broken firebricks supported by a grate. Thesteam-inlet It and oxygen-inlet m are similar to those already describedand are preferably placed at the top of the generator. The checker-workis first heated to a high temperature by the combustion of products fromthe primary generator in an abnormally large supply of oxygen. Theproducts of combustion pass out of the generator through the gas-outletn and may be diverted into a chimney during the preliminary heatingperiod. The oxygensupply is now reduced to its normal amount andthereafter so regulated that the proper temperature is maintained in thegenerator. In continued operation the normal and relative supply ofsteam and oxygen may be regulated manually or automatically by means ofpumps, as hereinbefore indicated. During the normal operation of thisgenerator the vaporized solid and liquid hydrocarbons while passingthrough the hot checker-Work are thoroughly mixed with the steam. At thehigh temperature prevailing the chemical reaction necessary for theirpermanent gasification ensues. This reaction consists in the union of aportion of their carbon with the oxygen of the steam, resulting incarbon monoxid and hydrogen, the same as when solid fuel is used. Thehydrocarbons thus robbed of a portion of their carbon are madepermanentl y gaseous by this change of composition. They may be so farrobbed of carbon by the use of sufficient steam that the resulting gaswill consist almost wholly of carbon monoxid and free hydrogen, thehydrogen being derived from both the steam and the fuel. The

supply of steam may be regulated according to the character of gaseousproduct desired. The water-gas leaves the generator through the pipe nand passes thence to such apparatus as may be necessary for its coolingand purification and the recovery of ammoniacal products.

In the foregoing specification I have used the expression oxygen or airgreatly enriched in oxygen. In the following claims I will use the wordoxygen as the equivalent of this expression.

The term bituminous coal is intended to include as equivalents allbituminous and carbonaceous fuel which remain solid below thetemperature of decomposition, such as bituminous coal, lignite, peat,wood, 850..

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of manufacturing water-gas, consisting in subjectingbituminous coal at a high temperature to the action of steam and oxygen,and simultaneously subjecting the distillate from the coal to thesimilar action of steam and oxygen, substantially as described.

2. The process of manufacturing Water-gas, consisting in subjectingbituminous coal or equivalent solid fuel at a high temperature to theaction of steam and sufficient oxygen to maintain the necessarytemperature, and simultaneously subjecting the distillate from the fuelto the similar action of steam and oxygen, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. BRUSH.

Witnesses:

W. G. OLEARY, J 0s. Bonn.

